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How to make trail mix with roasted almonds

Shared on July 18, 2014This post may contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. See the disclosure policy for more information.

Homemade Trail Mix with Roasted Almonds

With young children in tow, having a ready supply of snacks is a must. Oh, who am I kidding. As I mentioned in this Healthy Snack post, my husband and I also suffer from LBSCBDO. I am a firm believer that an outing is only as successful as the number of snacks you pack.

Bring on the sunshine. Bring on snacks.

Our current snack of choice is nuts or dried fruit. Throw them together, and you have trail mix. Add chocolate, and you have something worth talking about.

I love buying my dried fruit at Trader Joe’s because they carry several options (mango, pineapple, raisins, cherries, apples) that are unsulfured and unsweetened. (Be sure to check out what my favorite things to buy at Trader Joe’s here.) An ingredient list of one item (dried mango, for example) is a rare thing. Costco or Winco are other economical options. Here’s a quick list to give you an idea of a few prices in the fruit & nut department:

Costco

Almonds – $9.79/3 lb. ($3.26/lb.)

Cashews – $14.99/2.5 lb. ($6/lb.)

Organic raisins – around $6.99/4 lb. ($1.75/lb.)

Trader Joe’s

Almonds – $4.49/lb.

Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins – $3.99

Dried Bing Cherries – $3.49/8 oz. (6.98/lb.)

Golden Raisins – $2.69/lb.

Honey Roasted Peanuts – $3.79/lb.

Mini PB Cups – $3.49

Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds) – $5.49/lb.

Pistachios – $4.99/8 oz. ($9.98/lb.)

Sunflower Seeds – $1.99/lb.

WinCo

Almonds – $3.98/lb.

Cashews – $8.07/lb.

Dried Cranberries – $3.67/lb.

M & M’s – $3.96/lb.

Peanuts – $2.78/lb.

Pistachios – $10.79/lb.

Pumpkin Seeds – $4.19/lb.

Raisins – $1.78-$2.78/lb.

Sunflower Seeds – $1.38-$1.99/lb.

Roasting almonds improves their crunch and flavor. You could easily buy already roasted almonds for just a bit more than raw almonds per pound. However, I prefer to roast my own (surprise!). I like controlling the amount and type of oil and salt. Plus, they taste fresher and are super easy to do.

Roasted Almonds

Ingredients

Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees. For easier clean-up, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil; set aside.

Add the almonds to a large measuring cup or bowl. Pour the oil over the top of the almonds and toss until they are well coated.

Dump the almonds onto the baking sheet and spread out in a single layer.

Bake at 350-degrees for 12-13 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the desired amount of flaky kosher salt. Let the almonds cool. Store in a closed container.

Making Trail Mix

Ok, I won’t insult your intelligence by walking you through the finer points of making trail mix. However, I know I used to buy it pre-mixed instead of doing it myself. What was I thinking?! There are so many tasty combinations you can create. Each batch can be different, all perfectly suited to your own personal tastes. I copy TJ’s Peanut Butter Cups Trax Mix: almonds, cashews, dried cherries, and mini peanut butter cups. Yum.

Mix up a big bowl and divide it into smaller containers or snack bags to bring on your next adventure. Or trip to the park.

Tried this, with my own variations for the Paleo Diet. Great recipe.
I used the same amount of almonds but put sea salt on them (better for you than iodized table salt). I also did the same thing with walnuts (but put garlic powder instead) and pecans (with smoked paprika).
At the end I threw in some dried fruit. Viola! Healthier less expensive trail mix!